In European time, security and defence policy is progressing despite a general slowing down. It is cutting a path between the uncertainty of the constitutional issues and growing international demands: very few problems arise without the question of what Europe can do to resolve them being asked. Answering it calls for in-depth changes which are being prepared today.
Europe Defence: the Determination of a Position by Triangulation
What purpose, from now on, does a united and pacified Europe serve? Can we picture a simple Europe of projects without it becoming necessary to define a plan for Europe? How can we resolve the question of the draft Constitution and allow an enlarged European Union to function efficiently?
Possible options still need to be defined. The European Council has given the German Presidency the task of presenting a report on ‘the state of debate regarding the constitutional treaty and possible future developments’, during the first half of 2007. The French Presidency is to complete the work in the second half of 2008.
One could be quite confused, were it not for the reasonably widespread perception that, ultimately, there is no real credible alternative to constructing Europe. On the one hand, naturally enough, it is hard to envisage a massive handing back of European competencies to member states–the return of the mark, the franc and the lira, vast legislative unravelling–at a time when globalisation is in full expansion. On the other hand, Eurobarometer, which periodically provides soundings on the state of European public opinion, persists in announcing improved support for European defence: on average, 75 per cent of those Europeans questioned supported a common security and defence policy.(1) How then to obtain a breakthrough? As with navigation, let us take three bearings from known points in order to more clearly determine our position.
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